Jig for washing coal and similar substances.



B.RUSSELL.& sAvAeB.

JIG FOR WASHING GOAL AND SIMILAR SUBSTANCES,

APPLICATION mum AUG/1a. 1911.

a BIEETS-SHEET- 2.

my AV my AV AV Ara/m wnussas: r mvemons AfioRNE Patented Dec. 12. 1911' B. RUSSELL 81E. SAVAGE. 1111 F03 msama 00111-11111 SIMILAR sunsmucns.

- 11221110111011 nun-11111111, 1911. 1,01 1,496.

mvimons ATTORNEY UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BERTRAND RUSSELL AND EDWARD SAVAGE, OF SAGINAW, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO ROBERT M. RANDALL, OF SAGINAW, MICHIGAN,

' To all whom it may concern:

and EDWARD SAVAGE, both citizens of the United States, residing at Saginaw, in the county of Saginaw andState of Michigan, have invented certain new; and useful Improvements in Jigs for Washing Coal and Similar Substances; and" we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to devices for socalled washing ofcoal, ores, and similar substances, the washing consisting in the separating of the substance into materials of difi rent specific gravity, such as for instancefithe separating of sulfur and slate from coal', t he coal being of lighter specif'm gravity than the impurities to be removed.

The improvement pertains more particularly to that class of washing devices commonly termed jigs, consisting of a vessel in which the substance, as for instance coal, is introduced -with.water,- and the-coal and water are agitated together, with means for flowing ofi' the coal and water at the top and drawing ofi' the refuse accumulated at the bottom.

In the type of jig to which our invention is applied, the material is carried in a box with perforated bottom which is moved up and down in a tank of water. Material to be washed, as for instance coal, is received on this screen plate and the pulsating action of the water. as the jig'moves up and down, agitates and suspends the mass, separating the lighter material, 2'. ex the coal, which flowsoif the top of the jig, from-the refuse, which settles on the screen and is allowed to escape gradually through the opening of a jig valve or gate. In this type of jig to which our invention is applied, a valve is provided at the forward end ofqthe jig box and set at the desired opening. \T he excess refuse beyond what is needed forta suitable depth of bed is allowed to flow out underneath the valve,-the purpose being .to prevent the accumulation of so heavy-a bed of refuse on the screen as to interfere with the proper upward flow of the water through its perforated bottom. Another function of the refuse bed on the screen is to prevent Specification ofLtters Patent. Applieation.fi1ed August I8, 1911.

JIG FOR WASHING COAL AND SIMILAR S UBSTANCES.

Patented Dec. 12,1911. Serial No. 644,821.

the finer particles of coal being drawn down throughthe perforated bottom by the receding of the water.

There are serious disadvantages in the type of jig above referred to, in which the valve is set at a certain opening and remains there until reset by hand. \Vhen the valve is set to a given position the refuse bed grows to corresponding depth, determined by the adjustment of the valve. The disadvantages of such a jig will be understood if it is assumed, first, that the valve is set so as to accumulate a bed of proper thickness for the material passing through, so that coal is not carried out underneath the valve but floats properly over the top of the jig.

Now, assume that the nature of the matevalve openingvchanges so that a large proportion of coal goes to waste through the valve opening. This" results in a direct loss of coal. If, on the other hand, the nature of the material changes so that a greater percentage of refuse enters the jig, then the thickness of the bed increases and throttles the valve opening, and a considerable quantity'of refuse passes'out through the overflow with the washed coal. Furthermore, the valve being set ata fixed opening, remains OPCH'WllllO the ig is going down.

Water rushes rearward into the jig through the valve opening during the (lownstr.vl c and rusl'ies out from-the same opening during the lip-stroke. Since the work of separating done only on the down-stroke of the jig, that is, when the shale and coal are both suspended by the water as it pours up through the perforated bottom of the jig, it is apparent that the surging of a solid stream of water into the jig through the valve opening while the jig is on its downstroke, produces agitation at the delivery end of the jig and prevents the efficient separation of the material. That is to say, a solid stream rushes in and boils up near the valve opening (where the final,scparation is taking place) and floats considerable shale out through the over-flow together with the coal.

It is the purpose of our invention to overcome these difliculties and to greatly.in-

crease both the efficiency of separation and the capacity of the jig.

A further purpose is' to provide means by which the bed of shale is made to travel fortoinatically producing a valve movement of the jig and to regulate that movement so that the valve remains closed during the downstroke and opens on the up-stroke of the jig, and we also provide means by which the amount of opening may be quickly :and accurately ga-ged to suit changes in the material being handled, withoutstopping the It has been ascertained in practice that a small variation of the valve opening, due to wear of the parts,inaterially affects the elliciency of the jig. In order that-the functions performed by our improvement may be better understood, it is-to'be noted that it is of great importance that means for regulating the opening of the valve be provided. A change in the rate of feed to the jig alters the volume of shale to be passed out through the valve opening. If the rate of feed is suddenly increased, the quantity of shale increases correspondingly, the thick ness of the bed increases andthe jig will fill with shale unless means is provided for quickly and accurately gaging the amount of opening of the valve to suit the varying thicknesses of theshale bed. If. on the other hand, the quantity of material is reduced, the thickness of the shale bed (lo-- creases and means must be provided for quickly changing the maximum opening of the gate in order to prevent coal escaping with the shale. With some grades of coal at some rates of feed, it is important that the valve regulating device shall be capable of adj'usting the position of the valve through very small ranges and this adjustment must be made not only quickly but also accurately. Such fluctuations in the quantity or in the grade of material occur very often, but at irregular intervals. especially in washers that handle the product of two or three mines.

Our invention, therefore, provides means 3 not only for keeping the gate closed on the down-stroke of the jig, but also 'for'quickly' and accurately adjusting the maximum openingof the gate to meet the conditions above referred to, and further pro ides antomatic means for accomplishing these resuits, the valveeont-rolling mechanism being so constructed as to cause the valve to move up anddown withthe jig, but to antomatically close and open as the jig moves up anddown.

With these objects in view and certain others, which will appear-later in the speci-- fication, our invention consists in thedevices v and the equivalentsthereof, as set forth and claimed. V I I In'the accompanying drawings, Fi re 1 is a side sectional view of a jig wit our improved valve-regulating mechanism at-'. tached; Fi 2 is a perspective view of the jig, one si e of the tank being removed to.

show the mechanism and the jig being broken away; Fig. 3 is an enlarged side View of the valve-operating mechanism; Fig. 4 is a front view broken away in part; and Fig. '5 is a partial topplan view.

The construction and mode of operation of the device is as follows:

1 represents the water tank in which the jig 2 is actuated up and down by means of eccentrics 3 mounted on the shafts 4 which are driven by suitable gearing 5. The jig 2 is carried by suspension rods 6 secured. at their upper ends to the straps of the eccentrics 3 and at their lower ends to bearings 7 in which are received shafts 8, the ends of which are journaled to the jig 2.

9 is the vertically movable jig valve suspended from ,vci'ticallinks 10 which are adapted to be raised and lowered'by the hand lever 11. The hand lever 11 is fixed to a cross-shaft 14 which is journaled in the 11 opens-0r closes valve 9, this function, b-

ing the same as in previous machines above referred. to.

To automatically open-valve 9 on the stroke of jig 2 and to close it during the down-stroke, We provide the following mechanism: A horizontal arm 21 1s "]0l11- a-roller 20 and at its opposite end a block 22',

in which block is threaded a rightand left-" hand'screwv 23. Adjacent to arm 21"and keyed to-roc'k shaft 14 is the lever 11 above "12c naled on the shaft 14 and carries at one end' described. 'This lever also carries a block 24 threaded to receive the, lower end of screw 23. The lever"'11"and arm 21"'can be angnlarly adjusted with relation to each other by turning the screw 23, as indicated mittently engage roller 20..

The operationof the machine is as fol lowsrThe valve 9 being closed asshownin Fig. 3, the jig 2-is lowered by the revolv ing eccentrics 3, and the valve 9 descends with the jig 2, the lever 11 descending andthe roller 20 rising. Whenthe jig 2 has reached the bottom of its travel and is about to begin its upward stroke, cam 19 contacts with roller 20, depressing it and raising the valve 9, thereby opening it while the jig 2 is rising. The amount of opening actually afforded by the valve while the jig is risingdepends upon the relative-adjustment of the roller 20 and the cam 19 and this adjustment-ean be varied by moving shaft 14 toward the front of the jig, i. e., away from the cam, by means of the lever 16, or a'finer adjustment may be had by raising or lowering roller 20 with reference to lever. 11 by means of the rightand left-hand screw 23. This latter adjustment may-also be used for the purpose'of taking up wear of the parts after long use.

It will be observed that valve 9.normally remains closed, the lever lla'nd roller'20 riding up and down with the motion. of the jig, except when roller 20 is contacted by cam '19. The time of such contact and also the amount that roller 20 is depressed depends upon the size and shape of cam 1.9

' and also upon the adjusted position of lever 16, so that by properly adjusting lever 16, any desired amount ot opening can be intparted to valve 9 and the time of opening can also be regulated. It'is therefore only necessary for the operator of the jig toobserve the thickness of the shale bed and to note the quality of the washed product and if a change is desired, it can be quickly acvcomplished by shifting lever 16. The device also enables the operator to clear the jig of shale at any time by opening the valve 9 to its i-tullest extent by means of lever 11. Releasing lever It allows valve 9 to return to its adjusted condition and to closed on the down-stroke 'a'nd to-open on the up-strokc. It will be HOTOd that after shitting levee it as above described, the valve returns to its adjusted position without the necessity of resetting lever 16.

Having described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by- Letters Patent, is i r 1. ln-combination with a jigand means for moving said jig up and down; a vertically movable valve; horizontally 'disposed arm, vertical links'connecting said 'arm' to said valve, a revoluble. cam actu- 'ated' by the -ji'g-mo'ving means and adapted to-intermittently Contact with one end of the horizontal arm, and meansadapted to 7 toward or from the front of the jig-whereby to regulate the travel of said valve with relation to the jig.-"

2. In combination with a jig and means for movingsaid jig up and down; a vertically movable valve; :1 horizontally disposed arm, vertical links connecting said arm to saidhvalve, a revoluble camactuated by the jig-mo\ 'ing means and adapted to intermittently contact with one end of the horizontal arm, and means for regulating the travel of said valve with relation to the jig, comprising a cross-shaft carrying said horizontal .arm, upright. arms supporting said cross-shaft, a pivotally mounted rock shaft having the lower ends of said upright arms fixed thereto, a quadrant lever fixed to' said .cross-shaft, and a fixed quadrant adapted to be engaged by said quadrant lever.

3. lncombination with a jig, and means for moving said jig up and down; a vertically movable valve; a horizontally disposed arm. vertical links connecting said arm to said valve, screw adjusting means carried by said arm, adapted to slightly adjust the angular position of said arm with relation to said vertical links. a revoluble cam actuated by the jig-moving means-and adapted to intermittently contact with one end of the horizontal arm, and means adapted to move. the free end of the horizontal arm'toward or from the front of the ji with relation to'tlie jig.

In testimony whereof, we allix our signatures in presence. of t\\'o.\vitncsses.

Bll t'lltA Ni.) RUSSELL. JIDl-VA RD SAVAGE.

lVit nesses Uiuus'rixn Ihuioui li-zol \V. Sairrir.

whereby to regulate the travel of said valvev move the free end of the horizontal 'arm 

